Elder are a great American psychedelic rock/stoner doom band from Massachusetts. They have released a bunch of great albums through the years, but their finest album in my eyes is still their very first self titled album. This great stoner doom/stoner metal/psych album ventures on the borders of doom in the vein of Black Sabbath and Sleep, while having a distinct character of its own. The keywords about this release are fine catchy basslines and heavy riffs that are accompanied by clear cut psychedelic rock influences.
The album features only five songs, but all of them are brilliant from start to finish. May it be the delicious heavy riffs and fine catchy basslines of ''White Walls'' or 'Hexe'', or the equally heavy stoner metal riffs of any of the other track on this massive album. The great thing about this particular Elder album is that all the songs are a really good mixture of heavy stoner metal riffage, while the psychedelic rock flow and catchyness is prevalent in all of the tracks as well. This makes it a very balanced and memorable album, which really doesn't have a weak point in sight. This comes blatantly apparent in tracks like ''Ghost Head'' or the two parts of ''Riddle Of Steel''. Anyone who likes Black Sabbath and Sleep, should really enjoy this marvellous psychedelic stoner doom album.
Elder have released many albums after this self titled release. Many of them moving more towards refined stoner and psychedelia, but this album remains their pinnacle. The mixture of raw heavy riffage and enough memorable psychedelic catchyness is what makes this album one of their best releases. And why not one of the best releases in this whole genre. I for one have listened this album to pieces through the long arduous years of search for heavy stoner riffage.
Some related links:
Hexe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y48mDuY8rI0
Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/artist/1480029-Elder-2
